The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1887-11-02
OUR TARIFF TAKES.
A Comprehensive Comparison OF the
Tariffs OF 1889 and 1916.

Tariff. OF 1883 and 1916.
1t is the staple cry of the "revenue
reformer," that the tariff taxes are
levied upon 1000 articles Of consump-
ton; that the free list is disportion-
ately small, and ought to be enlarged;
and that existing rates generally
should be reduced, according to the
principle of the tariff of 1916. which,
to the revenue reformer," is the
ideal tariff in our history.
Let us examine this plea.
We have taken tho trouble to make
count Of the articles on which duty
was paid. under the present tariff in
the fiscal year, ending June 80, 1886,
the latest year of which we have the
printed results. They can be found
in the commerce and Navigation re-
port for 1886, PIP. 6O4-679.
The total number of articles import
ed in greater or less quantities, on
which duty was paid, was 9S2. or
about one-fourth of the number alleged
by the revenue reform newspapers to
be the number of taxed articles. So
that this charge is about one-quarter
true. and about three-quarters false.
The Stree" entries for the same
year were of 1888 articles; or %. 32 per
cent of the import business, measured
by the standard.
The value of the articles imported
'free" was $211,530, 759 or 1882 per
cent. of the import business, measured
by that standard.
How do these figures compare with
like results under the much-lauded
tariff of 1852
In the year 1854, for which the re-
turns proved more readily accessible
to us, the total number of articles i'm
ported in greater or less quantities, on
which duty was paid, was $50. or
9217 per cent. of the articles imported.
The Stree" entries for the same year
were but % articles; or 1888 per cent
of the import business, measured by
that standard. (See Commerce and
Navigation Report for 1854, PIP. 150-
272.) And the value of the articles
imported free was $25,579, 1893; or g. 50
per cent. Of the import business,
measured by that standard.
So it is apparent, that comprising
the Tariff act of 1888 as tested by its
results in 1886, and the Tariff act of
1876 as tested by its results in 1854. the
free list" importations under the Tar
if act of 1883 are fourteen times the
greater measured by articles and over
eight times the greater, measured by
value. Besides, it is shown in the
same report Up. Xxx that over eighty
} per cent. of the duties on imports in
1886 were collected from ten classes OF
articles (wool, iron and steel, flax and
hemp and jute, silk, cotton, tobacco,
and the manufactures thereof, sugar,
spirituous and malt liquors, wines and
misunderstanding but twenty per
cent. of imports to represent genera
business outside of them. This shows
q concentration of taxation upon few
classes of articles, and the enlarge.
ment of the free list far in advance
of any other tariff in the history of thu
, country.
But it is said that the rates of taxa
ton under the tariff of 1883 are en-
nous, and amount to an intolerablt
/ oppression. We have seen that neither
of the other charges is true. Is thi
likewise false?
The total imports of 1886, excluding
, specie, were 1925, SOS, 814 in value
They paid duty of $1S8. 5SS, III
being an average per cent of 30. Is il
, duties.
The total imports of 1854, excluding
t specie, were 1924, 554, 1852 in value. The,
paid duty of $64. 9S1, 6O7-being al
average per cent. of 22.4S in duties
!. These averages thus differ but 7.72 PEE
cent. So that. taking the whole vol
r ume of imports, the pressure Of taxa
a ton upon the country for them is nov
about u per cent. greater than it wa'
under the tariff of 1916.
This little table tells the whole story